OUR COMMUNITY
As we are part of a diverse cultural community we are committed to working collaboratively for the benefit of our community.
Our primary relationships are with mana whenua Ngaati Wairere and Aratiatia Community Marae.
We are invested in education - with a focus on serving the local community, including the several schools close to the Kukutaaruhe Gully.
Other partnerships and collaborations include projects, workshops, programmes and events with groups and organisations such as: NIWA, Department Of Conservation, local councils, Predator Free Hamilton, GoEco, Fairfield Enderley Resilience Network (FERN), Enviroschools, local schools, other local NGO’s, University of Waikato, WINTEC, Otago Polytechnic, and the Science Learning Hub.
These relationships and collaborations provide us with opportunities to enact our values.
Neighbourhood Focus
The Kukutaaruhe Gully contributes to a positive neighbourhood identity and provides a focal point for the community. It is an area of ecological significance that is accessible to the community via an expanding network of walkways. It is used by the community in a variety of ways. As the project is developing, it is enhancing the connections between the community and the space.
Aratiatia Community Marae
The Kukutaaruhe Education Trust acknowledges mana whenua - Ngaati Wairere - and works to ensure that all activities reflect the principles of kaitaikitanga and are consistent with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Kukutaaruhe Education Trust and Aratiatia Community Marae mean to emulate and celebrate the maatauranga of Ngaati Wairere, with the added value of being able to take into account contemporary scientific knowledge and practice, community and iwi partnerships, maatauranga Maaori in general, as well as shared and gained resources to reinstate an important ecological and historical area/rohe within Hamilton/Kirikiriroa, named Kukutaaruhe.
“Ko Aratiatia te Marae,
Ko Te Ihorangi te whare,
Ko Kukutaaruhe te whenua,
Ko Marawaatea te kura,
Ko Ngaati Wairere te mana whenua”
“Aratiatia is the Marae,
Te Ihorangi is the carved house,
Kukutaaruhe is the land,
Fairfield College is the school,
Ngaati Wairere hold the mana of this land”
Aratiatia Community Marae arose from a dream of Whaea Erana Coulter - to build a community Marae at the school where students of Fairfield College, and also the wider community, could become immersed in Te Ao Maaori, learning Maaori studies in a holistically Maaori environment and enabling the community to connect and/or reconnect to their Maaoritanga. The Marae complex was opened in 1982 and Te Ihorangi Whare was officially opened in 1995 by the Honourable Koro Wetere MP and Ngaati Wairere kaumatua Hare Puke on behalf of the Maaori Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
As the embodiment of Tikanga (custom) Maaori and Kawa (practice) within the community, Aratiatia Community Marae provides an entrance into Te Ao Maaori for all or any who visit Kukutaaruhe. The traditional ideals of Kukutaaruhe and its original inhabitants, Ngaati Wairere are celebrated in artform, speeches, waiata and practice within Aratiatia Marae and therefore provides a strong connection to the past, original flora, fauna and history of Kukutaaruhe as well a magnificent guardian offering the opportunity for those connected to the Kukutaaruhe Education Trust, and those involved in The Fairfield Project, to embrace and celebrate Te Ao Maaori for the future.
The Marae continues to shine within our community and is heavily utilized as a teaching space, hui and conference venue, training venue, teaching classroom, retreat, inspiration, but especially as Erana had wanted it to be – as a connection for this community to Te Ao Maaori.
E ngaa mana, ngaa reo, rau rangatira maa kua wehe ki te poo uriuri, te poo tangotango, te poo i oti atu, nei ra to tohu aroha ki te haapori, he taonga o ngaa taonga, he kainga mo te tini, te mano, he rau aroha mo ngaa tangata katoa, he whakamoemiti, he whakawhetai – haere koutou ki te runga rawa, okioki ai i roto i oona ringa, moe mai, haere haere haere
Ki a taatou ngaa uri whakatipu, Mauriora,
Whakanuia Te Iho Rangi,
Whakanuia Aratiatia!!
Te Maara Kai o Kukutaaruhe - The Kukutaaruhe Community Garden
Te Maara Kai o Kukutaaruhe - the Kukutaaruhe Community Garden was set up in 2017. The gardeners grow a wide range of food crops, and practice organic growing principles. The gardens include communal herb gardens and beehives.
Over 50 small gardens are worked by a diverse community of gardeners ranging from individuals to groups, collaborating, sharing, and learning from each other. A large area is also cultivated to grow kuumara and other traditional crops.
A Heritage Seed Garden has also been set up to provide an example of the benefit of small scale seed projects: growing heritage seeds for local distribution.
Te Maara Kai o Kukutaaruhe demonstrates how a closed loop can be created between locally grown seed, locally grown food and local green waste recycling.
The gardens are designed to be as self- sufficient as possible:
Two systems are used for composting garden waste (compost bins and worm farms).
Water is collected from the roof of the Watershed and is pumped from tanks by solar power.
Gardeners use tree mulch, much of which has been generated on site, to suppress weeds and therefore eliminate the use of sprays.
A paataka kai on site provides a central point for sharing excess produce with other gardeners and passers-by.
The gardens are used as educational spaces, both informally and through provision of regular themed workshops.
